


Square One

by Evealle



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: F/M, Stars and Stripes, Whovengers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-16
Updated: 2012-09-16
Packaged: 2017-11-14 08:48:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/513432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evealle/pseuds/Evealle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Martha struggles to see Donna so changed, and Steve tries to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Square One

**Author's Note:**

> Set in the Roski'd Whovengers universe on Tumblr. Quite fluffy ending; quite drabbley. Enjoy the Stars and Stripes!

Martha smiled sadly as Donna laughed, then quickly slipped out of the party onto the balcony outside. Glass of wine in hand, she leaned against the railing, staring out at the sky. There were tears in her eyes. Why couldn’t she remember it all? It was so unfair. Why did Donna have to forget?

 

“Hey,” said a soft voice behind her.

 

She glanced around, brushing the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “Steve. Hi,” she told him, her voice quavering slightly.

 

He came to stand beside her, turned toward her and watching her. “What’s the matter?”

 

She shook her head. “Nothing,” she lied, trying to sound brighter but not able to look at him.

 

“You looked sad in there,” Steve observed, watching her intently.

 

“Yeah…” she sighed. God, what use was it pretending there was nothing wrong. She had slipped out of a party, all but crying. It was pretty damn obvious. “It’s just – “ Martha glanced at him, pausing slightly. His face was serious; he seemed to want her to continue. She shook her head again and looked away, out over the city.

 

“What?” he prompted, leaning against the rail.

 

Her eyes trailed back up to his face again. “Donna,” she finished after a moment. He watched her, waiting for her to continue. “There’s so much she should remember, an entire year of her life wiped from her mind. She got to travel the stars with this amazing man. She saved the world! But she doesn’t remember any of it…” Martha trailed off. “She can’t,” she added, frowning.

 

She thought about how much of a difference her time with the Doctor had made. How she too had saved the Earth, walking around the world. She thought of how many changes she’d gone through on all those little adventures through the universe. To have all of that taken away…She couldn’t imagine what that was like, how empty that made you. She wouldn’t want to go back to being who she’d been before the Doctor. She didn’t want that life back.

 

Steve reached out and carefully wiped away the tears that were trickling down her face. She hadn’t noticed that she’d actually started to cry. Martha stared up at him. His hand hadn’t left her cheek. “There’s so much I don’t understand about you,” he said quietly. “You’ve talked about this before, traveling through time and space.”

 

She sniffed, giving a short laugh. “Not many people do. But it must be especially weird to you. I keep forgetting how much you missed,” she said, her brief smile fading.

 

Steve’s face tensed slightly. “I’ve been…catching up quickly.” He dropped his gaze, beginning to draw his hand away and turn away from her. Martha caught his hand with hers, stepping toward him to keep him from leaving. He raised his head, and their eyes met again, gazes holding for a lingering moment. She lifted her other hand to his face, cradling his cheek with her fingertips as she rose up to her toes. She pulled his face down to hers, their lips meeting softly.

 

He seemed to pause a moment, hesitating, then she felt his fingers rest lightly at the back of her neck as his lips melded with hers. It was a tender kiss, not like the fiery kisses with Mickey or the intense kisses from Tom. It was sweeter, but with the melancholy edge of two deeply sad people finding their way towards one another.

 

They broke apart slowly, Steve’s hand gently caressing her skin as he brought it back to his side. A smile spread across Martha’s face, her eyes lowering. She still held his hand in hers, and she laced her fingers through his, looking up at him. He smiled back at her, and squeezed her hand. They stood there a moment, then Steve glanced back at the door and the party inside. “C’mon,” he suggested. “Let’s go back in.” She eyed the door apprehensively. She didn’t know that she wanted to go back in and pretend for Donna that she was happy. “Together,” he added when he saw her hesitation, his eyes warm.

 

He didn’t quite understand her yet, nor she him, but he was going to be there for her. And anyway, she thought as she looked up again, wasn’t she happy? She grinned. “Allons-y,” she told him, turning to the door, not letting go of his hand. 


End file.
